The United Arab Emirates (UAE) national rail network operator, Etihad Rail, signed seven agreements to develop its freight and passenger rail networks at the Middle East Rail 2023 conference.
The exhibition and conference, hosted by Etihad Rail at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in partnership with the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Department of Culture and Tourism and the GCC Railways Authority, attracted over 10 000 attendees, including eight ministers from North Africa, Europe and Britain, 300 exhibitors, and 600 VIPs representing 30 different countries.
Among six other agreements, a 20-year strategic partnership with DHL Global Forwarding to use Etihad Rail infrastructure to distribute throughout the UAE was finalised.
The joint venture is expected to reduce pressure on road transport and improve trade, commerce and logistics, while helping the UAE meet its environmental commitments.
The UAE’s net-zero programme is scheduled for 2050, and will see the UAE National Rail network reduce carbon emissions from transportation, as each freight train added should remove about 300 trucks from the road.
“The UAE’s increasing focus is on infrastructure investment in the logistics sector, and DHL Global Forwarding is excited to be part of this journey to support growing capacity requirements through rail freight,” said the CEO of DHL Middle East and Africa, Amadou Diallo.
